The Beating of Her Heart
by whitem
Summary: A short dark one shot, based on a dark classic. Hope y'all like... Rating has now been changed to a "T" per some responses...


Just a little something I cooked up. Hope y'all like…

Disclaimer: Once again, I have not, and I will not, ever own these characters! Also, please see the second disclaimer at the end of this story…

The Beating of Her Heart

Over the years of continuous missions, in many ways my body had become attuned to the world, and the many stimuli that it exerted on my being. As a result, my senses were honed to be able to avoid light-speed weapons, and explosions that would surely have dispatched others of less strength and cunning.

One of these senses that seemed to vex me so, as it would tend to pick up on things I did not necessarily wish to, was my sense of hearing. At times I could hear conversations at a great distance, or at times I could even hear the beating of my foes heart as he or she fought, or ran from me. It did help at times, as I could tell when they were about to drop from exhaustion, or no longer had any fight in them, but there were other times when my acute hearing would get me into trouble…

It was the first night of Cheer Camp, when I had been paired with someone to room with I did not fancy very much. Quickly I decided to remove that which kept challenging my desire to be the best at everything that I could. After all… my own personal motto had been that I could do anything.

But I had to do this slowly and methodically, I thought. The target of my consternation was lying in the bunk above where I lay, and the noise that I would surely make when rising from my own bed would most in fact wake her, and warn her of what I had planned.

I had two nights. Two nights in which to practice, and move in such a way that my bed would not creak, and my footfalls would make no sound. I figured if I could not hear any of these sounds, then surely my target would not either.

It was on the second night, that I carefully stepped from the comfort of my bed, determined to carry out the dastardly deed I had set before myself. After taking the time to remove myself from under my covers, I stealthily moved across the floor to my mission pack, which held my weapon of choice.

It was a blade, which measured almost 6 inches from tip to hilt, and it had served me well on many a mission: To cut a length of rope, or to disembowel a small animal on which to feed after being dumped in the middle of nowhere.

Now I held the gleaming blade up, and marveled at its simplicity. The low light of the room, being illuminated by a moon that was almost full, shone through a window with no cover.

It was then that I heard it. It was a noise that I had heard before. It was a quick and muffled sound, almost like a watch swathed in cotton. A sound that told me that my target was still asleep, and unaware of the danger that now confronted her. Her heart beat slowly, as one should when one was asleep.

Slowly and silently I climbed the head of the bed, careful not to jostle or move a nail. I swear that it took me a full hour to ascend that height to the level of my intended target. Just as my head appeared over the end so I could see her sleeping face, my foot slipped, making a slight scrapping noise, and she startled, opening her eyes.

I stayed still, so very still so as not to alert her of my close presence. Verily it seemed that I stayed in that position, perched on the end of a bunk bed, for more than an hour, but in actuality it had been only a few minutes.

I could see her lying on the bed, but all I could see was the top of her head as it turned and moved about, her eyes scanning the area for anything amiss. It only took a few moments for my intended victim to settle, and then appear to return to slumber.

Then with a sudden jerk, her head turned back on itself, and she looked directly into my eyes. I knew I had been caught… that I had been made, so I decided to do what I had come there for, and to do it quickly.

My one hand slapped over her mouth, barely stifling her scream and the other brought the blade around, plunging it deep into her chest… Once, twice and a third time.

She struggled no more, and I heard her heart beating ever so slowly. The cadence became slower, and slower, and slower. Finally it ceased, and I placed a finger to her neck, feeling for at least 5 minutes. She was dead.

With determined audacity, and the feeling of a job well done, I moved about to dispose of the body as quietly as I could. No blood had seeped through the bedding, so clean up was quite easy.

After moving the body and bedding to the floor, I slowly and methodically rendered said body of its limbs and head, so that it could all be tied up easily into a large packet.

Then finding a loose floorboard in the old cabin structure, I was able to remove a number of planks, and found a sizeable cavity underneath, encircled by dirt. I placed my package inside the hole, and replaced the boards so perfectly it was virtually undetectable that they had been disturbed.

As soon as my deed was done, and I had lay back onto my own bed, a knock was at the front door. With a light step, and an almost jaunty feeling, I hopped out of bed, and opened the door to admit who was calling on me. It was a friend, and one of the camp counselors.

"Someone heard a scream that sounded like it was cut off coming from this direction of the camp." The Counselor said. "We were wondering if you had heard it was well?"

"No, I did not." I said, and pulled out a couple of chairs, offering my guests to sit. I placed my own chair right over where I had placed my roommate's remains.

My friend and the counselor stayed and talked about happier things, but my mood was starting to wane. _Why weren't they leaving?_ I thought. Surely they had received the information, believing every word I had told them. In my nervousness, a ringing started in my ears, and my voice began to rise and crack as I tried to steer the conversation in a way they would surely leave, but they did not.

The ringing became louder, and yet less distinct. It began to morph into a quick sound, as if it were a clock, swathed in cotton. The sound became louder, and louder, and louder. I could not believe that they could not also hear. My voice rose when speaking with them, trying to drown out the noise, but it would… not… stop!

The beating rose in a crescendo, and I stood from my chair. I dragged it across the floor where I had sat and I beat it on the floorboards. I beat on them matching the cadence, which now filled my ears.

I ripped at the floorboards, pulling the planks away from my improvised tomb, and screamed at the two who were now staring at me in shock.

"Do you not hear it?" I yelled at them, and gestured at the bundle that had previously lay beneath the floorboards. "Do you not hear the beating? The beating of her heart?"

…x x x x…

Kim stood on the stage breathing hard, with a broken chair at her side, her red hair wild. Her red rimmed green eyes matched the expression on her face… An awed silence commenced, and the applause started slowly. Quickly it gained in both numbers, and fervor.

The red head walked off to the side of the stage after a dramatic reading of her own design and choice, based on Edgar Allen Poe's work "The Tell Tale Heart".

She passed by the next student who had been preparing to present their own dramatic presentation, but they just stood in shock, mouth open, gathering flies. Kim spoke with an almost evil smile.

"You're next, Bonnie…"

The End…

* * *

Let me know if the rating is appropriate. If not I can move it up a notch...

Please try not to give away the ending in your review (if you so choose to leave one).

After hearing a reading of "The Tell Tale Heart", I wondered if Kim could pull something like this off. Would you agree she did this quite well?

I said… would you agree?

Disclaimer, Part Two: The work on which this is based, "The Tell Tale Heart", was originally written by Edgar Allen Poe.


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